


Mao Mao: Mirror of 1000 Souls

by Kabaneri



Series: Mao Mao is a true hero [2]
Category: Mao Mao: Heroes of Pure Heart (Cartoon)
Genre: Gen, Heroes, Kidnapping, Mao doesn't exaggerate everything, Mystery, Vampires
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-27
Updated: 2019-09-27
Packaged: 2020-10-29 04:42:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,146
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20790818
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kabaneri/pseuds/Kabaneri





	Mao Mao: Mirror of 1000 Souls

It was another normal day in Pure Heart valley. Mao Mao, Adorabat and Badgerclops were out patrolling when Orangosnake attacked yet again in an attempt to get the ruby.

Mao Mao fought with him while Badgerclops and Adorabat took the other pirates.

“Just give up already! No matter how many times you try, we’ll always top you!” – he taunted the primate-snake.

“NEVERRRR!” – he swung his axe at Mao Mao.

Mao Mao on the other hand smirked and decided to show off a bit. He watched the axe approach him and dodged in the last moment, completely unharmed. This and his smirking face made Orangosnake angry. He furiously swung his weapon at the feline but Mao Mao dodged every swing. Posing, making funny faces, flipping, spinning or just leaning back.

“Damn it!” – Orangosnake went for an overhead swing.

Mao Mao on the other hand became serious. It was enough showing off, for now at least.

“It’s time to get serious!” – in a fluid movement he unsheathed Geraldine and sent the primate-snake fly. He hit a tree and got all scratched up on the broken branches.

“Boss!” – Ratarang shouted.

The other cyborgs stopped and rushed back to their boss. Suddenly, a smell reached Mao Mao’s nose. He shook his head furiously and snarled. The cyborgs dragged their boss and went to recover for the next few days or a week.

“Wow! Chill out dude! They are gone.” – Badgerclops said.

“Yea! We defeated them, again!”

Mao Mao straightened up, closed his eyes and breathed. After a few seconds he was back to normal.

“Sorry…” Mao Mao looked at his companions “I got a bit carried away there. Haha! Now! Let’s go and celebrate another victory!”

“Yes! Pie!”

“Yay! You were great today Mao Mao!”

“HHAHA! Of course I was!”

They turned to walk pack to their home, Mao Mao’s eyes lingered of his companions’ back for a second. He closed his mouth with a quiet click, shook his head and with a determined look followed them. It was a good life! Just before they went in, the monster alarm sounded.

“Seriously?! Another one?!”

The three of them ran towards the town square where a bunch of round monsters with cricket-like legs and large jaws were wreaking havoc.

…………………………..

“Jeez! I knew this place is a literal monster magnet, but this is too much for one day!” – Badgerclops complained.

“Don’t complain! A hero should help clean after a fight! It’s the right thing to do!” – Mao Mao said in an all-knowing tone as they finally entered their home.

“I see!” – Adorabat said as she flew to the couch.

“I don’t know about you two but I am going to make a quick dinner. I am exhausted and can’t wait to go to bed.”- Badgerclops went to the kitchen.

A few minutes later, Mao Mao and Adorabat were waiting for dinner. Badgerclops came with a huge pot of stew and a small container.

“Dinner’s ready!”

“Yay!” Adorabat cheered “What’s that in there?” – she pointed at the container full of white chunks.

“Oh! This is for Mao Mao. It’s his favorite spice!”

“Yes!” Mao Mao snatched it “My precious.” – he opened it and the strong aroma of garlic exploded.

“Ugh! Garlic?! You love garlic?!” – Adorabat covered her nose due to the strong smell.

“Yup! It’s great and I like the smell.”

Badgerclops leaned closer to her and whispered in her ear.

“With that much garlic he’d chase away any vampire, don’t you think?”

“Vampires?!” – she gasped.

“VAMPIRES?! WHERE?!” – Mao Mao jumped up, sword out and ready, looking frantically around.

“Wow, dude! I didn’t know you were so spooked by vampires.”

“I’m sorry Mao Mao! I didn’t want to scare you! Will you forgive me?!” – she was on the verge of crying.

“There are no vampires? Phew!” he wiped sweat from his brow and sat down, relieved “Don’t worry Adorabat, I’m not mad or anything… AND SECOND! I am NOT afraid of vampires! You just don’t understand how dangerous they can be. That’s why you can take this matter so lightly.” – Mao Mao looked a bit pissed off but quickly went into consoling mode.

“Uh, no I don’t! I have heard about vampires and they sound not that dangerous. I mean, they only go out at night, run away from garlic, crosses and can be killed with a piece of wood through the heart. Pirates sound a lot more dangerous than some vampires.” – Badgerclops took a spoonful of stew and ate it.

“Hmph! You obviously hadn’t seen a real vampire then!”

“Oh, so you are some expert then?”

“Guys, please don’t fight!” – Adorabat was nervous.

“Don’t worry, we’re not going to fight.” – Badgerclops assured her.

“Yeah, we’re just discussing! Oh, and yes, I am an expert! I have fought vampires before!”

“Really?”

“Are you serious?! I WANNA HEAR!” – Adorabat’s eyes sparkled.

“OK. I will tell you, BUT after dinner!”

They dug in and Mao Mao savored his stew with garlic. Soon, they went to bed but didn’t sleep. They wanted to hear what Mao Mao was going to say.

“So, where should I start?” – Mao Mao wondered out loud.

“Uh, from the beginning?”- Badgerclops looked down from his top bunk, night lamp lit.

“I can’t wait!!!” - Adorabat was jumping on her bed.

“OK! Here we go… “– Mao Mao began to tell his story in an overly-epic way.

~~~~~~

It happened a while after I lost my tail… I was broken both on the outside but on the inside! BUT! I was NOT going to give up. A great hero never quits and so I wasn’t going to quit because of my missing tail! I trained hard, day and night, in heat and cold, in wind and rain! Soon, I was back on my feet and ready for action! I had wasted enough time training, so I left to travel the world, yet again.

I was armed with new determination and set of skills. I was ready to face the dangers the world was going to throw at me. I traveled for many days and nights, alone. I fought monsters, the weather… Then, I reached the town of Dread Mountain!

~~~~~~

“Dread Mountain?!” Adorabat gasped “This sounds dangerous!”

‘He’s obviously exaggerating yet again.’ – badgerclops thought but didn’t say anything, seeing how excited and awed Adorabat was.

“It was dangerous!” Mao Mao turned to face her “But please, wait for me to finish my story. I’ll answer any question you might have about this adventure of mine.” – Mao Mao looked pleased and proud of himself.

“OK!”

“So, where was I? Oh! Right…”

~~~~~~

Dread Mountain! A steep range of mountains that merged into one long line, stretching north. It was full of dark caves, cliffs, steep mountain slopes, woods so thick not a ray of light could touch the ground. There were bandits, monsters and… VAMPIRES! Despite all this, Dread Mountain town stood there, just below the mountain. The only permanently inhabited place for many kilometers!

When I arrived, it was storming. The wind blew, lightning split the sky, thunder shook the windows. The mountain threw a terrifying shadow over the town. Its wall looked even drearier than what I have heard from travelers. The only thing indicating where the entrance was- a small oil lamp the gate guard had hung in his small cabin by the gate. I approached without fear.

“Sonny, what are you doing here in such a dreary weather. Young uns like you usually leave this place instead of coming.” – the guards, a scarred old rabbit with a golden tooth told me.

“I have come here… for busyness.” – I said coolly, my cloak billowing in the wind.

The guard just laughed at me but stood up and unlocked the gate for me. I thanked him and strode inside the town.

The houses were small and dark, most windows weren’t even glowing. The light coming from the local tavern led me up the cobblestone main street. The sign of the tavern was creaking as the wing shook it left and right. I opened the doors and all chatter stopped. The gathered bunch of ruffians, experienced adventurers and other people all looked at me. Some even tried to intimidate me but I wasn’t affected. I hung my drenched cloak by the door and strode towards the bar. I might have gone there for a drink but my main goal was information. On my way to the town, I have heard a rumor about an ancient artifact hidden in a dungeon on the mountain. Its name was the Mirror of 1000 Souls! A mystical object created by a warlock on the request of king Sethurn the third! According to legend, the warlock used dark magic to forge the mirror from mystical materials like mithril and precious magic stones. Immense magic power is stored in it and only during a night of blood red moon, a ritual can be performed. It unlocks all the magical power stored in the mirror and it is said that it can grant the user’s every wish. Be it money, power, eternal life… even the craziest demands will become reality! I had come to search for that mirror. An artifact so dangerous CAN’T be allowed to fall in the wrong hands!

I listened for anything useful and what I had found didn’t please me. Apparently a group of vampires had come to dwell in the caverns near the dungeon recently. They were abducting people, an unusual behavior! Vampires don’t abduct people, they drink their blood and leave them or their bodies behind. This made me even more worried. Something was amiss and I HAD to find what it was! One thing was for sure… it was related to the mirror!

I waited for the storm to pass. I rented a room in the tavern and decided to sleep there for the night. To be honest, I didn’t sleep well that night. There was an uneasy feeling in the air, I felt it in my bones!

Beck then, even though I had learned what I could about vampires, I have to admit that I also thought they couldn’t come out during the day. How wrong I was and that would cost me later. The truth is that vampires get sunburnt easily, so they prefer the night. Their skin is just sensitive to direct sunlight, that’s all.

So, I had armed myself for a battle with the vampires but due to them being so close, the garlic in town had become ridiculously expensive, so I couldn’t bring any with me, unfortunately…

As I climbed the steep mountain towards my goal, I went through many plans but nothing could prepare me for the things I discovered later on. I reached the caves where the vampires had settled in. My plan was to get rid of them and then go to take the mirror. It wouldn’t have been good to bump into the vampires when I was exhausted after raiding the dungeon after all.

What was the plan of those vampires? Where exactly as their boss? What were they going to do with the mirror? – I was going to find all that and defeat them with my trusty Geraldine!

As I snuck through the cave, aided by the shadows, I stumbled upon a gathering of about a dozen vampires. They were kneeling and in front of them stood their leader. A vicious-looking vampire duck! He was lord Duckula! The abducted townspeople were tied and placed on some sort of a magical circle.

Duckula lifted something up. It was the mirror! I gasped without realizing. Suddenly, many glowing eyes looked at my hiding place-

~~~~~~

“Wait! Glowing eyes? Weren’t vampire eyes just red?” – Badgerclops asked, not believing the whole thing happened more and more.

“I said don’t interrupt until I finish!” Mao Mao sighed and rubbed his temples “But yes, they glow, also vampires don’t always have red eyes and their eyes become red only when they are too hungry or make them red.”

“WOW! I didn’t know that!” – Adorabat was awed by the new knowledge.

“Seriously? You believe that?”

“Shush! I am continuing the story!”

~~~~~~

My hiding spot was discovered and running away was NOT an option, so I jumped out and attacked the vampires. It was pretty bothersome fight but was also exciting and intense. Vampires can regenerate quite fast and small injuries would heal quickly, so I had to make sure to pierce their hearts with Geraldine’s blade of light!

Duckula didn’t like that I was slowly but surely destroying his minions, so he also joined the fight. It was a tough battle. He was much stronger than I thought. I was being pushed into a corner, 5 vampires and their lord were closing in. I counterattacked and Duckula shot magical needles at me. I had managed to get rid of his minions but just as I was about to reach him, an unimaginable pain erupted from my leg. One of the needles had pierced my leg!

I fell, Geraldine slipping out of my hands and falling somewhere in the dark cave. I was vulnerable, without a weapon, I couldn’t run! Duckula looked down at me and sneered with his fangy bill.

~~~~~~

“What happened?! Were you OK?” – Adorabat flew to Mao Mao, worried.

“Of course he is! He’s right here.” – Badgerclops pointed out.

“Oh, right! So, what happened next Mao Mao?”

“Of course I overcame the challenge. I defeated Duckula and he turned to dust. Unfortunately, during our battle, the mirror fell in an underground river, never to be seen again. I just hope no one ever gets their hands on it.”

“Wow! What an amazing story!”

“I know! I was in it after all!” Mao Mao got to his bed “Time to sleep. Goodnight!”

“Goodnight Mao Mao!”

“’Night.”

……………………………….

Something was wrong. Something was very, very wrong. The air itself tasted wrong. Mao Mao could feel it, his whiskers twitched as they went patrolling around the valley.

“Chill out bro! You’ve been tense all day.” – Badgerclops looked at Mao Mao.

“I can’t! There’s something going on here! I can feel it!”

“Whoa! Did your story get to you? There’s nothing wrong here.”

“B-But what if Mao Mao is right?!”

As Badgerclops argued with Adorabat, Mao Mao concentrated on the vicinity. It all looked normal as ever. The citizens, the streets… there were no monsters, no pirates…!!! There! He ran to a side alley, shocking his companions and everybody nearby.

‘I thought so…’ – he looked at a window on the second floor of the house.

He smelled, observed the spot and even felt it with his fingertips. A quick taste… yup! A strong taste of calcium and other minerals, meaning a cave.

“Mao! What are you doing there? Get down!” – Badgerclops shouted from the street down below him.

“I am coming.” -he jumped off.

“Jeez! How did you get up there so fast?!”

“I have my ways.” Mao’s look turned really serious “Hey, has anyone seen the owner of this house today?”

“Really, Mao?” – Badger looked at him like he was joking.

“N-No. I haven’t.” – a sweet bunny stuttered, looking nervous.

“Haha! I knew it!” Mao Mao looked at his friends “Badgerclops, Adorabat! We need to quickly go and inform the king! We may be having a vampire problem, and not any type, the same type of vampire problem I had.”

“No, nope! First, you have no proof, second, the owner may just be out and third, even if it was kidnapping, how do you know it’s not the pirates? You’ve been wrong before.”

“I have proof! On the wooden frame there are claw marks, five clawed fingers. The curve of the nail suggests the nails aren’t quite natural, just like when vampires make their nails grow. The faint smell of mustiness and taste of minerals suggest it had been in a cave for extended periods of time. All these factors point at a vampire!

“Oh, no! We have to warn the citizens!” – Adorabat flew around, panicking.

“Don’t panic! They can sense it. They not only smell blood but can also hear your heartbeat!” – Mao Mao told her.

Badgerclops just shook his head but followed.

………………………….

Later the next night you could see Mao Mao, Badgerclops and Adorabat huddled in a bush. They were on a stakeout, looking for the vampire that kidnapped the citizen.

“And why are we here exactly?” – Badgerclops asks Mao Mao.

“Because a criminal always returns to the site of crime! Now shush! You might spook em!”

“Ooh! I have never seen a vampire before!” Adorabat was excited “Mao Mao, are vampires as scary as they are in stories? Do they turn into dust when you spray them with Holy Water? Is it true that they can turn anybody into a vampire with a bite? Do they-“

“Adorabat!” Mao Mao scream-whispered “We need to be quiet but so you know: No, some are just creepy but there are a few scary ones. Haven’t tried Holy Water yet. Not all vampires can.”

“Not all?” Badgerclops was confused “How do you know that?”

Mao Mao was about to say something put suddenly stopped. His eyes zeroed on a street to his right, his ears also perked up.

“Damn it!” – he jumped out of the bush and ran, drawing Geraldine out.

“Mao Mao!” – Adorabat flew after him.

“Wait! Where areyou going?!” – Badgerclops also ran after them, not knowing what happened.

…………………………..

Mao Mao jumped over a flight of stairs and skid to a stop.

“Stop right there, vampire!!!”

“HISSSSSSS!” – the vampire, a cloaked frog with vampire teeth and glowing eyes hissed as it slung on a squirming sack.

Mao Mao growled at it, ready to attack. He jumped and slashed at the vampire but it having a better standing point, jumped away, dodging the attack. Due to the force he’d used, Geraldine was imbedded in a windowsill. Mao Mao struggled, trying to get his weapon out.

“A VAMPIRE?!” Adorabat screamed “Eat this!”

“NO! Adorabat, stay back!” – Mao Mao shouted but it was too late.

Adorabat charged in but the vampire frog just grinned evilly and batted the much weaker Adorabat away. Adorabat hit a wall and slid down. She looked to be in pain. Mao Mao quickly let go of Geraldine and ran to her side. She was slightly bleeding, the bloody smell of course attracted vampires. The frog’s eyes turned red and it licked its lips. Mao Mao grit his teeth, turned towards the amphibian bloodsucker. He was prepared to defend his injured friend even if it meant fighting with his teeth, fists and claws only. The vampire was about to jump on them when…

“Eat garlic, you evil being!!!” – Badgerclops shouted and threw something.

With a wet splat it landed on the pavement and the strong smell of taco spread. The vampire screeched and ran away, taking the sack with it.

“You came just in time!” Mao Mao exclaimed in joy “She got injured. We have to stop the bleeding!”

“Whoa! Dude, chill out! There are no vampires near here.”

Mao Mao had a conflicted look as Badgerclops took out a first aid kit.

“By the way, smart of you to use the garlic taco. The smell of garlic is strong and vampires would almost always run away from it.” – he complimented his one-eyed friend.

“Hehe, it was something I came up with on the spot. I saw you in a tight spot and acted.”

“Thanks, I appreciate it.”

………………………….

Things weren’t looking good. As soon as the sun rose, they had called every Sweetiepie for a headcount. The results were that last night 5 more were taken. 6 Sweetiepies were gone in just 2 nights. This wasn’t good!

“Grr! This is getting nowhere! We have to find where their lair is and stop them!” – Mao Mao slammed his fist on a table.

“I agree with you, we can’t let this be.”

“Yeah!”

“The disappearances… the organized vampire activity… It’s all the same!”

“The same as what?”

“Dread Mountain of course! We have to find in which cave in the valley they are hiding as fast as possible!” – Mao Mao ran off, not saying anything.

“Yeah… I think something’s off with him.” – Badgerclops looked at the door Mao Mao went through.

“AH! Is he sick or something worse?!” – a bandaged Adorabat got up from bed.

“Whoa! Rest, you are hurt and need it.”

“NO! Mao Mao is out there alone, searching for vampires! I will help him!”

“Sigh… I can’t change your mind, can I?”

“Nope!”

“Fine. Let’s go and rescue our too-reckless sheriff.”

…………………

“Grr! How many dark, murky, spooky caves can there be in here?!” – Mao Mao shouted in frustration after yet another dead end.

He had conveniently take- ahem, accidentally found a map in the castle. He had been checking caves for over an hour now but no luck in finding the vampires. His ears suddenly twitch at the sound of feet on stone. He looks at the direction and sees a cloaked figure sneak in a small tunnel.

‘AHA! There you are! I will stop you and prove myself! I will become a legendary hero, my family will respect me and I will- No, no! You are getting too far Mao Mao. Stop the vampires first.’

He was not aware that just as he’d entered the tunnel Badgerclops and Adorabat would come to look for him.

“Ugh! Where IS HE?! We’ve been going through caves and more caves, on foot! Why did he have to take the keys?”

“No time! We need to find Mao Mao! He may be in danger.” – she got off of Badgerclops’ shoulder and walked forward.

………………………..

Mao Mao followed the vampire like a shadow, soon they reached a larger chamber. A lot more cloaked figures were kneeling and in front of them was an altar. It was all the same, the circle, the imprisoned innocents, only the leader was missing. Mao Mao hid behind a stalactite.

‘Now, I just need to wait for all vampires to gather and make a plan of action…’

Soon another group of cloaked figures came and Mao Mao realized there were more of them than last time. The last figure wore a gaudy cloak with gems on it- he was the big boss. He walked to the circle, turned towards the kneeling crowd and removed his hood.

‘Duckula?! Impossible! I killed him!’ – he was shocked but remained silent.

“My brothers and sisters! After years of searching Dread Mountain and the rivers near it, we have found the mirror!”

Everyone cheered.

“At last, we will harness its unimaginable power! Just a few more sacrifices are needed and we will perform the ritual in a few days.”

“B-but sir, what about the guards? Last night I got attacked.” – the frog piped up.

“Ha! Those incompetents clearly can’t stop us!”

Mao Mao wanted to tear him apart for calling him incompetent.

“My lord! There are two individuals snooping near here! What should we do?” – a female asked.

“Deal with them! Capture them and bring them here as sacrifices. Froscher, Mangusal, you stay here as guards.”

The frog vampire and a mongoose vampire stayed while everyone else shuffled out.

‘Strange…’

Mao Mao shrugged it off and waited for the moment to strike. Just as the vampires started talking he jumped off and slashed with Geraldine at the mongoose.

………………………

“Waaaah! Watch out!” – Adorabat shouted and threw a smoke bomb in one of the vampires’ faces.

“Thanks!” – Badgerclops fired his canon and took out a few more.

“Uh…”

“What’s wrong Adorabat?”

“Don’t these vampires seem a bit too… weak?”

“You know how Mao Mao over-dramatizes everything, right? With Bao Bao and everything…”

“Of course I know! It’s just, I was sure he was telling the truth this time!”

Just then Badgerclops blasted the last standing member of the mob.

“Ugh… it hurts…” – someone moaned.

“Look!” Adorabat pointed “He’s still hurt! Didn’t vampires regenerate really fast?”

“Hmm…” Badgerlops examined the cloaked figures near him “You are right! These aren’t vampires! They are ordinary people!”

“What should we do now?”

“I say we tie them up and find Mao bro before he seriously injures someone innocent thinking they are vampires.”

A while later…

“Aaaan… the last one!”

Badgerclops stretched after tying the last of the fake vampires.

“Great! Let’s go find Mao Mao!”

“Alright. Where could he be?”

“Hmm… where…”

“If those ‘vampires’ came here, he might be closer but in which of these caves is he?” – Badgerclops looked at a few entrances in front of him.

BOOOOOOOM!

They both turned around to see smoke coming out of a small tunnel and from the other side of the mountain. They looked at each other and decided to go for the tunnel because it would take too long to walk around the whole mountain.

===A few minutes earlier with Mao Mao===

Mao Mao dodged to the side, Geraldine’s blade flashing and slicing the frog. He screamed and turned to dust. Mao Mao wasn’t looking as good. He was scraped and a bit messy due to fighting both Duckula and the frog for a while. Now, only the duck remained.

“I see we are the only ones left.” – Mao Mao pointed his sword at the vampire duck.

“Grr! YOU! You won’t foil my plans again, stupid cat!”

“Give up, Duckula! You might have somehow survived last time but this time I am prepared!”

“AAAAAAAAAAH! I am NOT duckula,, damn it! I am count Durculus the third!”

“Meh, sound the same.”

Just then Durculus noticed how Mao Mao’s scratches and scrapes were gone.

“Hehe… I see now, you want the mirror too, heh? You want to not be a vampire again. I knew it! I have successfully turned you!”

“Don’t talk like you know anything!” Mao Mao was furious, he didn’t like being reminded about it “I am going to stop you once and for all!”

He and the duck clashed. Blade against blade. Durculus had pulled a silver dagger with his gloved hand. He twistded his wrist and directed Mao Mao’s attack to the side. He aimed to stab Mao Mao in the heart but Mao was faster and dodged. He jumped away but hissed as the silver weapon cut his cheek. It burned like hell.

“You can’t pretend you aren’t a vampire. This holy silver weapon won’t have any effect on you otherwise!” the vampire gloated “I was planning to get rid of the others with it but who knew I can get rid of you too. After that, I can not only get the sacrifices you released back but take over this whole valley! Hahaha!”

Mao Mao’s eyes flashed red, showing how angry he was. Yes, he had become a vampire after that day…

~~~~~~

Mao Mao dragged himself to a sunny spot. He panted and rested for a bit, trying to re-compose himself. Back then he was still under the impression that vampires got burned under the sun, so he had unknowingly let his guard down.

“AAAAARGH!” – Mao Mao shouted as pain erupted from his neck.

He looked to his left, terror in his eyes, to se Durculus. He was biting his neck… under the sun!

~~~~~~

Mao Mao gripped his sword harder.

“Now, tell me. When was the last time you’ve had blood?”

Mao Mao shook his head. The thought of drinking blood was always a temptation but he refused attacking anyone or drinking blood. Mao Mao attacked.

“I don’t drink blood, Duckula! I have found my own way. Victory juice, tomatoes and lots of jelly!”

Durculus was about to say something but gagged at the faint garlic smell coming from Mao Mao’s mouth. Mao Mao took this chance and managed to not only knock the dagger out of the evil vampire’s hand but also trip him. By some near impossible coincidence, the dagger spun in the air, fell down and pierced Durculus in the heart.

“NOOOOOOoo…” – he shouted as he turned to dust, leaving only the clothes behind.

Mao Mao didn’t enjoy this, but it had to be done. Killing the vampire ensured that the valley would be safe. Mao Mao then picked up the Mirror of 1000 Souls and looked at it. His reflection looked up at him from the murky dark green glass. His eyes were back to normal, no longer red with fury.

“Sacrificing people… even if I can be back to how I was, I prefer holding back the urge to bite someone’s neck that sacrifice innocents for my selfish wish…”

Mao Mao took a deep breath and then, with all his strength, he smashed the mirror. It shattered into many pieces as he lifted a rock and continued to hit it until it became a pile of glass grains and a battered piece of metal.

“_UOOOOOOOOOOH!”_

Mao Mao jumped back as black smoke started coming out of the mirror. Green, ghastly smoke erupted from it and at least a thousand faces were swirling in it. This wasn’t good! It headed towards him and he didn’t know how to defend himself against this thing. His instincts took over. He pointed Geraldine at it and released the most powerful ray of light from it. The green smoke screeched in pain as the light reached it-

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

It exploded. Mao Mao coughed and looked in front of him. The explosion had made a hole in the wall and the rays of the sunrise streamed through it.

………………

“Mao Mao!” – Adorabat suddenly flew into him and hugged him.

“Dude! What was that explosion? Are you OK?!” – Badgerclops also came after squeezing out of the small tunnel.

“Adorabat, Badgerclops, what are you doing here?”

“We came to save you!” – she hugged him again.

“Yeah! It was pretty reckless of you just running off like that.”

“I- I am sorry. I guess this whole thing got me reeled up too easy. But hey! I managed to defeat the vampires and even defeated Duckula once and for all!”

“This is awesome!”

“Wait! If that Duckula was here, then what about the mirror? Is it also here?” – Badgerclops asked.

“It was but I destroyed it.”

“What?!”

“Why? Wasn’t it supposed to grant wishes?” – Adorabat looked at Mao Mao with worry.

“Yes but it wasn’t worth the price. That thing was evil!”

“Welp. Let’s go home then! I can’t wait to get those guys in prison and go to sleep. We’ve been looking for you the whole night.” – Badgerclops walked towards the exit.

“Wait! Are you telling me you caught all those vampires?”

“Yeah, we and Adorabat did catch them but it turned out they weren’t real vampires, just people in costumes.”

“Huh? No wonder they seemed strange…” – Mao Mao mused.

“So, will you tell me what happened Mao Mao? How did you defeat the vampires? Oh! What was that explosion?” – Adorabat flew beside him, her eyes sparkling.

“Haha! Of course I will!” he cleared his throat “It was an epic battle…”

‘Here we go again…’ – Badgerclops thought, not realizing Mao Mao wasn’t exaggerating for this story too.


End file.
